e.l.f. Beauty CEO Tarang Amin reflects on why he initially dismissed the opportunity to lead the cosmetics company before changing his mind, and how it reinforced his belief that it never hurts to have a conversation. He also discusses his immigrant upbringing, curiosity, leadership, diversity and the decisions that shaped his career.
Tarang Amin wasn’t looking to run a cosmetics company when the opportunity to invest in e.l.f. Beauty came his way. He thought the category was crowded, fragmented and lacked differentiation. But Amin followed a rule that had served him throughout his career: “It never hurts to have a conversation.”
That conversation changed his mind. After looking more closely at e.l.f., Amin saw a digitally native brand with a strong value proposition, an unusually close relationship with its consumers and exceptional performance at retail. He decided to invest his own family’s money and become CEO.
In this episode of Executive Decisions, Amin tells Steve Sedgwick how his family’s immigrant experience and motel business shaped him, why curiosity remains central to his leadership style and how listening to e.l.f.’s community drives the company’s product innovation. He also explains why he believes diverse teams are a competitive advantage — and the leadership philosophy behind his approach: “When people are looking at opportunities, I’m looking at strengths.”
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